The cover for Outlaw Heroes shouldn't be on the list. It actually looks pretty good to me.

The Outlaw Heroes one looks atrocious. The Outer Glow around the poster, the generic font that looks superimposed on the poster rather than part of it... it may not be quite as horrible as some of the others, but it still screams "cover designed by someone with only a passing knowledge of Photoshop."

This one's my favorite, just because it makes me laugh out loud. It seems like a book that's not really taking itself seriously, or is perhaps purposely shitty:

I'm wondering, if the author can't afford to pay for someone to design an attractive cover, and he also can't make his own, why not just make it very simply? A lot of the books uploaded here to Mobilread, including ones I have made, have simple covers that don't scare people away. Some of these downright make my eyes want to bleed...

What about just making a thread for cover critique? There'd have to be a "Constructive or GTFO" rule, though, because it could quickly descend into a troll-fest.

Don't think much of your fellow MRers, do you? They seem to me in the main to be generous and helpful types. Seriously, if you're going to be an author you need to grow a thick skin, and if you can't handle the odd brutal comment even within this generally supportive venue, I think you need to rethink what being an author means. To me, "troll-fest" reads: "comments I don't like, no matter how germane, well-intentioned or accurate."

Ok, I have to do it, 'you can't judge a book by it's cover,' is what my co-worker said to me the other day when I brainstorming some cover ideas. I looked at her funny and shook my head becasue we all do.

I do my best to keep my covers simple or find a stock photo that works but I'm not the best visual artist (that's why I write) and a great cover takes work, talen, or money. So if your surfing the free book bin and wanna see great cover get realistic... you know, 'don't look a gift horse in the mouth.'